GP40X (JSSX 7000)

Well, the GP40X has been coming along not too badly, but I have hit a snag in trying to complete it. I ordered a replacement set of handrails to replace the damaged ones that were on it, but the seller of the handrails (on ebay) sent me a set for a GP38, which don't even come close to fitting. At all.

Athearn didn't have any on their website, but I called them anyway. Their auto voice answering machine directed me to contact Horizon Hobby online. Doing that, I was assigned a case number and told that they would contact me next week.  Looking around a bit more on the web site, I found a "chat" icon, where someone told me that he would have to forward my request to another department, and that I would hear via email from them on Monday.  However an hour or so later, I received an email informing me that Horizon Hobby has none of the handrails in stock because the GP40X is discontinued.

Here are a few photos of the engine anyway, much of the weathering now done.

The end missing the handrails.  Maybe I should get some HO scale yellow caution tape to put on it until I find a solution to this

The long hood end, which is actually labelled on the side sill as being the front or forward end, whichever is the correct term

The word "Southern" has been painted out on the long hood, and the new ownership JSSX added below the cab windows.  I went over just about the whole locomotive with flat black, and kind of stained the white stripe with burnt umber.

A little rust can be seen on the bolts of the panel below the air filter, there's some light coloured grime streaking downward in a few places, and some fuel/oil stains on the fuel tank.

Sitting on the shop track here.  Maybe that's not really a terrible idea to try to put some caution tape around the short hood end.  Hmmm...